Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Two Agricultural Systems: Conventional Tillage and No-Tillage

Abstract

A field trial was carried out to compare two agricultural management systems in the Po Valley (Northern Italy): Conventional tillage (CT) vs. No-tillage (NT). The different management of the experimental field had been established since 2011. In 2014 the trial was cropped with maize and CT system was compared with NT system concerning crop yields, soil characteristics and operating costs. Experimental trial was set up as randomized complete block design with four replicates. The soil is a fine, mixed, mesic, Udertic Haplustalf. The software C.E.M.A. was used to determine operating costs and fuel consumption of the two agro-ecosystems. In term of net income it was observed a difference of about 100 \u20ac per hectare in favor of NT system. Regarding greenhouse gases emissions NT saved about 360 kg per hectare of CO2